Port Canaveral to construct new multi-purpose berth

Construction on Port Canaveral’s new, multi-purpose cargo berth is expected to start in March, with a completion target of mid-2019, allowing the Floridian port to accommodate a growing cargo portfolio that includes commercial spacecraft components.    The Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners has given the green light to the construction of a new, multi-purpose cargo berth at Port Canaveral that’s expected to support heavy lift cargo and other operations.
   The five-member commission voted unanimously Wednesday to move forward with building a new North Cargo Berth 8 (NCB8) to accommodate a growing cargo portfolio that includes commercial spacecraft components.
   Tampa, Fla.-based Orion Marine Group has been awarded a $17.9 million contract for construction of the bulkhead and seawall, relieving platform and dredging. Construction is expected to begin in March, with a scheduled completion of the entire project targeted for mid-2019.
   The berth is to be constructed with a 2,000-pounds-per-square-foot capacity, which port officials said is a necessary requirement for handling aerospace cargo and other heavy project cargo. The berth is being dredged to a depth of 35 feet mean lower low water.
   “The landside and waterside investment on the port’s north side will provide the infrastructure and flexibility needed to meet an increased demand for diversified cargo handling capabilities,” the port explained in a statement.
   When it becomes operational, the planned 900-foot seawall and 100-foot pier extension would be capable of handling an 850-foot ship, port officials said.
   “We are experiencing the highest demand for bulkhead space in the history of our port,” said Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray, the former president and chief executive officer of Hapag-Lloyd USA. “This new multi-purpose berth will enhance our ability to manage cargo opportunities being driven by the rapid economic growth in Central Florida.”